Supervisors canvass Nashua city special election

The Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors canvassed the Nashua city special election — which was held Tuesday, Jan. 23 — and officially endorsed the results during the board’s weekly Monday morning meeting.
Nashua residents were charged with picking two new city council members because of resignations that took place this fall, and former Mayor Angie Dietz and political newcomer Hal Kelleher III were elected. Dietz received 83 votes while Kelleher garnered 73.
The third-place candidate — former City Councilman Rolland Cagley, who also lost a bid for re-election in the November election — got 72 votes, just one vote fewer than Kelleher and one vote short of winning the council seat.
There had been some talk going into the meeting that a recount could be requested, by Cagley or perhaps another interested party, because the election was so close.
Cagley could call for a recount after Monday’s canvass. In fact, according to Chickasaw County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Joan Knoll, Cagley or anyone else who wants to request a recount was required to wait for the canvass to conclude.
“Right now, state law says he has to wait until the supervisors do what they need to do,”  Knoll said last week.
The election was marked by light turnout as just 143 of Nashua’s 1,116 registered voters — or 12.8 percent — cast ballots. Of those, 16 were absentee ballots.
The final vote totals before the board Monday were the same as what was reported election night. Dietz received 83 votes, Kelleher 73, Cagley 72, Terry J. McGinnis 51. Three votes each went to write-in candidates Kyle Lane, Bob Mehman and Timothy L. Liddle.

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The board approved the ballots 4-0. Members present were chairman Jacob Hackman and supervisors Tim Zoll, Steve Geerts and Dan Carolan. Supervisor David Tilkes was absent due to illness.
 
For more of this article, see Friday's Tribune.